Felting machine



Feb. 24, 192%.

F. c. EMRICK 'FELTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 21, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb.24, 1925.

1,527,297 F. C. EMRICK FELTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 21, 1922 3Sheets-Sheet '2 glwuwnfot F. C. EMRICK FELTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 21,1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 3- ohm which may be very successfully citizen of theUnited States,

"UNITED STATES PATENT or FICE.

' mam: c. EMRICK, or KALAmzoo, moment.

mrrme mcnmn.

Application filed October 21, 1922. Serial 170. 595,962.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. EMRIGK, a residing at the city and countyof Kalamazoo, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Felting Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in felting machines. The mainobjects of the invention are: "First, to provide animproved feltingmaused. progage for the felting ofvarious materialsand duces a superiorproduct of uniform and density. 1

Second, to provide an improved felting machine adapted for producingmaterial of various gages of any desired length.

Third, to provide an improved felting machine which is of very largecapacity.

Fourth, to rovide an'improved felting machine whic .-is simple instructure and requires very little attention and skill onthe part of theo rator.

Further ObjBCtS, and objects relating to structural details, willdefinitely appear from the detailed description to follow.

I- accomplish the objects of my invention Y :by'the devices and meansdescribed in the following specification. The invention is clearlydefined and pointed out in the claims.

' I Fig. II is a side elevation,

- Av structure which is a preferred embodiment of my invention isclearlyillustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming"? part of this aplication, in which: 'g. I is a rear e evation, partially in verticalcentral section ing the features of my invention, the delivconveyor andtable being removed.

the parts .being broken away for convenience in illustration.

Fig. HI is an enlarged detail section on a line correspondin to line-3-3of Fig. II, showing details o the felting wheel and'of the manner ofproviding a packing for the felting wheel. i

IV is an enlarged detail section one linecorrespo n to line 44..of Fig.1shoging-furtherrfiatails of the felting wheel 7 and the ac p v $is aetail section of-a modified .form of my improved felting machine,machine being especially designed 'for the the '- manufactureofcylindrically curved articles such as coverings for pi es and the like.In the drawing re. erence numerals of a; structure embodyrefer tosimilar parts throughout the several views and the sectional views aretaken looking in the direction of the little arrows at the ends of thesection lines.

on the shaft. These 7 supporting the felting screen 8. A gear 9 issecured to the felting wheel and meshes with a gear 10 on the shaft 3.

The press wheel 11 is made up ofsuitable spiders and a solid rim. Thestock tank 12 has an. opening inone side,-the feltingand pressing wheelsbeing arranged in this open ing to constitute the side of the stocktank,- the side walls being conformed. to these openings.

Packings 13 are arranged in the side walls 14 of the tank, see Fig. III,to coact with the ends of the felting and pressing wheels. Packings 15are arranged in the top and bottom edges of the tank, see Fig. IV, tocoact with the periphery of the felting wheel and the press Wheel. Thesepackings 15 are yieldingly supported by the springs 16. The stockisintroduced to the tank 12 through the supply 'pipe 17. An ,air pipe 18is provided at the bottom of the tank so that in the event of themachine being stopped with stock therein air may be introduced toaccommodate the settled material or'in the. event that there should be atendency forthe material to settle air is introduced to accommodate thestock and .keepit uniformly distributed in its suspending water. Thefelt is delivered upon the surface of the felting wheel, the waterpassing therethroughand d1scharg1ng to suitable drains, not illustrated.As the wheel revolves the desired thickness of material accumulatesthereon, the speed of the felting wheel-being governed according to the,percentage of felting material in the carryin or en endin 1i uid. I

. I pro vide a drivin m ieans 19 provided with a governor 20, the enginebeing connected with the driving shaft 21 connected by the worm 22 andgears 23 and 24 to the car. 10. A gaging screw 25 carried by t 0 arm 26on the rock-shaft 27 is arranged to rest upon the felt-carried by Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letand pressing wheels is atake-off table 30' which delivers to a conveyor 31. A suction box 3 isassociated with this conveyor to remove some of the moisture from thefelting. V 5

To free the felting from the felting wheel I provide an air blast nozzle33 which is directed so that the air is delivered substantially at thepressing point and at the rear thereof. This effectively loosens orfrees the felt so that it passes on to the take-off table. The nozzle ismounted on the shaft 2 which is hollow and provided with a connection 34to a source of air supply&

In the modification shown in Fig. V the screen for the felting wheel 36is concaved while the periphery of the coacting press wheel 37 isconvexed to correspond. This enables the manufacture of felting ofcircular cross section adapting it for use in covering conduits and thelike.

My improved felting machine is well adapted for use in the manufactureof felt from various kinds of material. It is of large capacity andrequires but little attention on the part of the operator.

Having thus described my invention, what ters Patent, is:

1. In a felting machine, the combination of a stock tank open at oneside, a felting wheel provided with a peripheral felting screen, acoacting press wheel, said felting and pressing wheels being arranged inthesaid side opening of sa d stock tank to constitute a wall therefor, atake-off table disposed at the rear of the bite of said wheels, an air.nozzle disposed .Within said felting wheel to discharge a blast of airagainst the inside of the screen for disengaging-the felted materialtherefrom, a driving means for said felting and pressing wheelsincluding a governor, a rock shaft having an arm thereon, a shoe on saidarm resting on the felted material on the screen adjacent said presswheel, and operating connections from said rock shaft to said governor.

2. In a felting machine, the combination of a stock tank open at oneside, a felting wheel provided with a peripheral felting screen, acoacting press wheel, said felting and pressing wheels being arranged inthe said opening of said Stock tank to const r tute a wall therefor,atake-ofl table disposed at the rear of the bite of said wheels, and anair nozzle disposed within said felting wheel to discharge a blast ofair against the inside of the screen for disengaging the felted materialtherefrom.

3. In a felting machine the combination of a stock tank open at oneside, a felting,

wheel provided with a peripheral felting screen, a coacting press wheel,said felting and pressing wheels being arranged in the said side openingof said stock tank to for disengaging the felted material therefrom.'

v '4. In a felting machine, the combination of a stock tank open at oneside, a felting wheel provided with a peripheral felting screen, acoacting press wheel, 'said felting and pressing wheels being arrangedin the said opening of said stock tank to constitute a wall therefor, adriving means for said felting and pressing wheels including a gov-.

ernor, a gaging member resting on the felted material on the screenadjacent saidpress wheel, and operating connections from said gagingmember to said governor.

5. Ina-felting machine, the combination of a felting wheel provided witha peripheral felting screen, a coactingpress wheel,

means for delivering stock to said felting screen comprising a tankembracing one side of the wheel, a take-off table disposed at the rearof the bite of said wheels, an air nozzle disposed within said feltingwheel to. discharge a blast of air against the inside of the screen fordisengaging the felted material therefrom, a driving means forsaidfelting and pressing wheels including a gov ernor, a gaging memberresting on the felted material on the screen adjacent said press wheel,and operating connections from said gaging member to said governor.

6. In a felting machine, the combination of a felting wheel providedwith a peripheral felting screen, a .coacting press wheel,

means for delivering stock to said felting screen, a take-off ta'bledisposed at the rear of the bit of said wheels, and an air nozzledisposed ,within said feltingwheel to discharge a blast of air againstthe inside of thescreen for disengaging the felted material therefrom.

7. In a felting machine, the combination of a felting wheel provided"with a peripheral felting screen, a meeting press wheel, means fordelivering stock to said felting m screen comprising a tank embracingone side of the wheel, a riving means for said felt ing and pressingwheels including a governor, a gaging member resting on the feltedmaterial on the screen adjacent said press wheel, and operatingconnections from said gaging member to said governor.

8. In a felting machine, the combination of a felting wheel providedwith a periph- 1 era-l felting screen, means for delivering stock tosaid felting screen comprisin a tank 'embracin one side of the whee adriving means %or said felting' wheel including a governor, a gagingmember resting on the felted'material on the screen, and operatingconnections from said gaging member to said governor.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal. FRANK C.EMRICK. [n 5.]

